Sand Sculptures
Weston-super-Mare is hosting an unusual exhibition throughout the summer — well, if you can call it summer! Last week saw the arrival of the World Sand Sculpting Association (WSSA), several tons of sand dumped on Beach Lawns, the wide grassy verge between the beach and the nightclubs and hotels along the front — and some pretty neat expertise with a trowel!
This is the second year Weston has accommodated the WSSA. Last year, sadly, some hooligans ruined everything by vandalising the single sculpture of King Kong shortly after it had been completed and the exhibit had to be created all over again. This year the local council has taken certain steps in an effort to prevent a repetition of such mindless destruction — but just in case the idiots still manage to spoil it for everyone else, I captured the sculptors’ work in pictures before they could do any damage.
According to a BBC News local online report, there is some controversy over the cost of the exhibit. Last year’s King Kong cost £11,000 and this year’s sculptures have cost local council tax-payers £35,000 (though there are five separate sponsors involved too). The rise in cost accounts for not only the extra artists’ flights and accommodation, but also for night-time security. The council hopes the sculptures will attract more people to the area and said it provides the town with more cultural activities. Comments left on the BBC News page (as at this time of writing) are certainly very negative in nature.
Click each image to see the full-size photo in another browser window or tab.
Work In Progress
These photos were taken on Saturday 7th July 2007 as the sculptors were creating their exhibits. Fortunately, the weather had cleared up and the sun was shining! The artists included sculptors from Italy and the Netherlands.
The Completed Sculptures
We returned to take these pictures on Monday 16th July, about a week after their work was completed. Once again we were lucky with the weather — it was a warm sunny afternoon and there were many people taking an interest. The theme of the exhibition was the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, with each sand carving dedicated to one of the brothers’ famous stories — Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Hansel and Gretel. (I can’t remember now which one is which!)
You might wonder how the sculptors manage to prevent the wind and rain from destroying their work. Here you can see one of the artists spraying his carving with a mixture of water and glue to ‘fix’ it.
The exhibition is expected to remain in place until September. However, with the weather being so capricious this year — and hooligans notwithstanding — you have to wish them the best of luck!
SF Girl says:
July 18th, 2007
7:39 am
These are so cool! Every summer just south of where I live, in White Rock, they used to have a massive sandart contest, which spawned a myriad of great works of detail and imagination. Unfortunately people got too rowdy and the quiet community of White Rock shut it down… Sigh… Having too much fun has its price.
SF Girl says:
July 18th, 2007
8:45 am
p.s. Now go to my latest post and give it some thought…
Somerset Bob says:
July 18th, 2007
9:32 am
Hey Nina,
Seems like messing around with sand gets people’s “rowdy juices” flowing on both sides of the Big Pond! There’s probably a research doctorate waiting to be conducted into The Psycho-Neurological Aspects of Human Interactivity with Crystalline Silica!
Thank you so much for the Thoughtful Blogger award! I’m honoured. I shall add said award to the sidebar later today and give due thought as to who should be rewarded in turn …
Comprodman says:
July 18th, 2007
10:46 am
First time I saw sand art was at Sea World Florida, there they even pained it, I’ll see if I can find a few pictures and post them on my blog for you to see. I love sand art there is something about the fact it can be washed away that makes it so special.
meeyauw says:
July 18th, 2007
2:33 pm
That is phenomenal. I looked closely at their tools. They spend hours at that. I’m glad you caught the photos.
Jill Terry says:
July 18th, 2007
3:41 pm
Amazing…thanks for sharing!
cathy mills says:
March 4th, 2008
10:55 am
Amazing, they have such detail! I am going to make my own sand sculpture there this Thursday! March 4th from a mould I made previously. The resulting photographs will be on display in Stroud over June and July at the Sat Anise Cafe. Having seen these though, mine now seems very small… Small is beautiful!
Somerset Bob says:
March 4th, 2008
11:34 am
Hi Cathy, thanks for dropping by! Good luck with your sand sculpting — if your photos are published on the web, feel free to pop in again and give us a link to them
Luci says:
July 9th, 2008
11:00 am
Hi Bob
Just thought you’d like to know the sculptors are back in Weston. This year’s theme is ‘A walk around the world’ with sculptures of the seven continents. It will be open on Saturday 12 July and four sculptors will be on ste for a week completing Asia during the first week for people to see them at work.
Hope you get the chance to visit (fingers crossed the sun will make an appearance!)
Somerset Bob says:
July 9th, 2008
11:38 am
Hi Luci,
Many thanks for taking the time to pass on that info. I’ll certainly try to get down there later in the month. Let’s hope they don’t get washed away in the rain!